Generation Connected—both millennials and their younger counterparts, Generation Z—will comprise a whopping 76 percent of workers by 2025, and their background with technology will result in major changes in the ways employers conduct business.

To recruit, attract, and keep these young workers, firms are adapting to Gen C’s needs. This includes creating online training programs to appeal to Gen C’s preferred learning style. Employers will also need to establish a workplace that promotes life-work balance and flexible schedules. Consequently, the traditional 9-5 schedule will likely disappear.

Perhaps the most important shift will be the emphasis on collaboration. Gen C prefers to learn from mentors and peers. Therefore, firms not already using a “flipped” style of training—whereby learners view instructional videos on their own time and then receive in-person practice—will need to update the way their workers learn.

–From Workforce.com

Uptalk + Vocal Fry = Incompetence, Say Employers

The speech mannerisms so common among young women today carry negative connotations to hirers, according to a recently study. Uptalk—raising the voice at the end of a sentence that is not a question—and vocal fry—forcing the voice to a lower pitch, causing a creak—carry stigmas.

Research published in the journal PLOS ONE found that women using uptalk were considered less competent than those who did not. However, use of the vocal style also resulted in women sounding more “likeable.” Women who did not use uptalk who instead sounded authoritative were considered “arrogant,” causing a can’t-win scenario.

The study also revealed that speakers with a standard American English accent were favored for jobs over those with non-native accents.

–From Talent Management

Yes, Even Techies Need to Know How to Write

Effective writing skills are critical for tech-related jobs, and not just for day-to-day communication. Unless grand ideas can be effectively communicated, they will not be funded, experts say.

Those entering science- or tech-related fields often consider writing a nonessential skill. However, successful leaders in tech-related fields know otherwise. They explain that many tech projects require collaboration between people often working in other locations, which demands clarity in daily communication.

In addition, large tech projects require an even greater degree of writing skill. These projects are often broken into chunks for various teams to work on. Clear documentation is therefore of utmost importance.

Even coders need to write coherently. “A well-written bug report saves everyone hours of time,” says the CEO of a popular gaming company.